TSUNAMI DESTROYED 400 HECTARES OF MANGROOVE FORESTS IN INDIA
Indian Union Minister A. Raja incharge of Environment and Forest said in an international seminar on tsunami destruction and coastal development in which 14 counties have participate4d ,” over 4000 hectares ofmangrove forests on the Andaman and Nicobar islands was destroyed by the December 26 2004 Tsunami. Another 8000 hectareshas also been damaged causing extensive damage to coralreeves and marine organisms”. The Ministerr further added the country was finalising Rs.125 crore early warning systwm for tsunami in the Indian Ocean region. Mappingof coastel regions and creating bioshields with soft engineering tools aresome of the other measures being taken to deal with disastrous.
